1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to liquid distribution systems and particularly, to a transportable conestoga combat hose reel and rapid inland petroleum and water distribution system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Temporary and permanent liquid distribution systems are often needed by the military during wartime conditions, as well as for training exercises. Most often these distribution systems are required for the conveyance of fuel and/or water. Over the past decade, throughput demands on the strategic fuel transfer of the military have continuously increased.
In creating temporary and permanent military fluid distribution systems, a pipeline is used, typically formed by laying and connecting nineteen (19') foot aluminum pipe sections along a designated area. This type of pipeline construction is time consuming and labor intensive, often requiring hundreds of soldiers in order to complete the pipeline in a somewhat reasonable period of time. As mentioned above, the pipeline is formed from nineteen foot sections, thus, requiring the labor and time of connecting the pipe every nineteen feet. Furthermore, each connection point increases the opportunity for a leak to occur, which may be dangerous especially where petroleum and/or other liquid chemicals are being transported through the pipeline. Current pipelines are typically built during the day, given the problems of lighting at night especially when laying a pipeline on non-developed terrain locations. Thus, even with hundred of soldiers working to construct the pipeline, typically only about two (2) miles a day of pipeline can be constructed.
When laying a pipeline on a non-developed terrain, another problem is the ability of access. If the pipeline is to built in or by the jungle, due to the demands of a current war or training exercise, it may not be possible to drive trucks carrying the nineteen foot pipe section to a location reasonably near to where the pipeline is to be built. If the trucks can't access at least the neighboring area, then it often becomes impractical and dangerous to require soldiers to carry the pipe sections over large areas to reach the pipeline designation. Thus, in these situation, the pipeline, though being important, may not be built. Therefore, it is to the effective resolution of the aforementioned and shortcomings of the prior art that the present invention is directed.